Keep your neck bones and spine healthy, raise your head and straighten your back
Oct 17, 2024
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Professor Doe Ji-dong "In the past, most of the causes of spinal diseases were aging, but recently, it is also common among young people due to wrong lifestyle and stress. The spine is the pillar of our body and serves as a nerve center that connects throughout the body. It is important to prevent spinal diseases through proper lifestyle habits, as poor spinal health can lead to poor quality of life."
◇How do I avoid cervical disease? Straighten your back and raise your head
Recently, as the use of computers and smartphones increases, more and more people are complaining of neck and shoulder pain. Normal cervical vertebrae are arranged in a 'C shape', and long bad postures transform the cervical arrangement into 'I shape'. At this time, cervical laminar deformation that causes neck and shoulder pain (a phenomenon in which the neck bends forward, so-called turtle neck syndrome)In addition, cervical disc herniation (aka neck disc) may appear.
To prevent this, you should consciously straighten your neck and back. When sitting in a chair, it is recommended to pull your chin slightly in with your hips close to the backrest and your back straight. If the pillow is too high, the deformation of the neck bending forward worsens, so a pillow maintaining the normal 'C shape' is recommended. When looking at a monitor or smartphone, use a pedestal, etc., so that the gaze is directed upward by about 15 degrees.
◇How do I avoid chronic back pain and spondylosis? Stretch your stomach and straighten your back
Right after the Chuseok holiday and during the kimchi-making season, the number of patients with lumbar diseases increases rapidly. This is because they often work for a long time in the wrong position, especially when sitting on the floor and bending down can weaken the lumbar spine and the intervertebral disc, which can cause chronic low back pain. Therefore, it is safe to sit on a chair and keep your waist straight at the table as much as possible when making holiday food or making kimchi.
If you have osteoporosis, you need to be extra careful when transferring heavy food. Spondyloid bones weakened by osteoporosis can easily break even in everyday movements, and if back or back pain suddenly intensifies after moving things, consult medical staff immediately.
You should also avoid movements that strain your spine without knowing it in your daily life.
Since the movement of lowering your head and washing your head or lowering your waist only increases the pressure of the intervertebral disc, when washing your head, you should raise your head, stand in a straight line, wrap your head, and lift it while bending your knees and hips while raising your knees. The posture of sitting with two legs on both sides also puts a burden on the back. When lying down or sleeping, it is better to lie down looking at the ceiling and lying upright than lying down.
◇How do I avoid lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis? You need to strengthen your spine with exercise and stretching
Lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis, characterized by back and leg neuralgia (radiation), are degenerative diseases caused by aging. Natural regression cannot be prevented, but exercise and stretching can reduce the load and pain on the spine.
First, walking and climbing strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine and the whole body muscles. Swimming and walking in the water also help strengthen muscles without putting pressure on joints and spine. Steady stretching and gymnastics movements that strengthen the three spinal muscles that connect the back, stomach, and legs are also helpful.
However, it is recommended to refrain from bending the waist forward, sit-ups, waist twisting, lying down, lifting legs, jumping, and running because it puts a burden on the spine. In particular, even when exercising strength, it is recommended that patients with lumbar diseases refrain from exercising a lot of stress in the back, such as deadlift.
Professor Doe Ji-dong said, "Spine disease can lead to mental illness such as depression if it develops into chronic low back pain, so it should be actively prevented through lifestyle correction. If neck, arm, waist, and leg pain persists for more than two weeks, intervertebral disc escape is suspected, so it is better to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.'
bellho@sportschosun.com
